St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-22

clergyman. 1t is the duty OF all Danes to
protect the reputation of Danish women, and
the statement made against their chastity is
an outrageous lie. The speaker assured his
hearers that their country, though small, was
as great in the reputation of its people as
either Norway or Sweden. He referred to
the deplorable effect the hasty speech of the
bishop will have on immigrants, and how
sadly the Danish name will be furnished if
this meeting does not refute the statement.
The Americans like fair play, and will have
more respect for the Danes If they give the
lie direct to this false accusation of the
bishop. 1t is Il question of existence with
Danish-AmericanS whether Bishop FoSS'
statement is true or false.
REV. MIR. DAN,
pastor of the Danish Lutheran church. said:
SHionor is the most beautiful tree of the
forest, and the AK has been thrust at its base
by hands whence an attack was least to be
expected. The bishop had seen but one side
of DAMS life, he has looked with but one eye.
He drew striking picture OF the beauty and
purity of the Danish home, and said we are
justified in speaking very plain truths in reply
TO an unjust attack against that home. The
gentleman thought Bishop Foss must have
reached his conclusions regarding Danes
from the Sabbath observance in Copenhagen;
the bishop saw thousands of Copenhagen's
poor leaving their homes on Sunday after
noon to seek recreation III suburban parks,
and misjudged their object, which was in
nocent amusement. 1t is a sin to
envy such poor their only pleasure
On Sunday evening the bishop saw the
theaterS open and made nasty conclusions.
The speaker wished the Danes would adopt
the American Sabbath. He admitted that
there are 800 houses of prostitution in Copen-
hagan, but says they are under rigid govern
ment surveillance. But Copenhagen is not
Denmark, it is but one city, and the largest.
Take the country through and the women are
just as pure as can be found between the
Atlantic and Pacific. The bishop, of course,
visited his Methodist brethren i'll Denmark,
and as they had to close their churches be-
cause of no attendants they probably had
bad idea of the Danes The bishop should
have made careful personal investigation
instead OF accepting hersy, before making
sweeping assertions.
OThe chairman drew few comparisons
between Denmark and America that we've
| not at all flatterng to Americans. He
spoke of the very rare occurrence OF divorces
| in Denmark, in striking contrast with the
work of Minneapolis courts. There are not
| as many murders in Denmark as occur in
any one of the American states in four
months. Mr.. Smith said that if Bishop
Foss had said of the Irish what he has said
of the Danes they would
HAVE SKINNED HIM ALIVE.
If the assertions were true we were indeed
disgraced. but Danes know it is not true.
He insisted that the bishop must either be
made to prove his assertions or retract
them. and the Danes will hammer away at
| toem until he retracts.
Mr.. Paulson cited United States Consul
| Griffin's Danish Days" in which the
| Danish character is eXtOlled. and the purely
| of the women especially commended. Had
| the Danes been so horribly immoral surely
! it would not have remained for Bishop
| FoSs to make the first announcement OF it.
| As the Danes who come to this country are
| honest and moral, and this is not denied,
| surely those at home are no worse. Bishop
Foss has done us great injustice, and we
must defend our honor.
Mr.. Guuderson made a very strong
speech. This sorrow gives Us a grand
chance to live life that will give the lie
to Bishop Foss.
A long preamble and resolutions were
| adopted, which express in strong terms the
indignation of the Minneapolis Danes
against the slanderer of their people. They
demand that Bishop Foss either give sub
stantial proof of his statement regarding the
gross immortality of the Danes, which he
has charged, or Immediately retract the
statement. They declare the Danes to be
an honorable, industrious, virtuous people,
and ask the public generally to disbelieve
the Bishops statement. The resolutions
will be sent to every Danish society in
America. to the entire Danish press of the
country, to the Danish minister at Wash
ington, and to the United States minister at
| COnenhaGen